Hamster bedding- can a hamster hate Kaytee Clean & Cozy?

[Griffin]

I have always used Megazorb as hamster bedding but I keep reading about how good Kaytee Clean & Cozy is. My hamster (a female Syrian) was due a full clean out (I do this every few months and spot clean in between it's a 100x54cm cage), so I thought I would try the Kaytee bedding. She has a thick layer, which I compressed to about 7/8 inches deep. I did put in some of her old bedding and the cage configuration is the same.

However, I am not sure she likes the bedding! She has dug up all the compressed bedding (it's like a snow storm in there) and now seems like she is not very happy about it. She has only been on it 24 hours, so I don't really want to clean her out again in case she gets more stressed. She is usually a really happy little girl but she just seems a bit sad this evening.

Has anyone experienced the similar please?

 

[FinnishLapphund]

It was ages since I had hamsters, but I googled the brand you mentioned. It definitely sounded nice and cosy to burrow in for sleeping, but if she dug everything up, and now seems unsatisfied, perhaps she isn't satisfied with the quality of her attempts at burrowing/tunneling in the new material. No matter the reviews, you know your hamster, and if you think she doesn't seem happy with it, she probably isn't.

 

[Griffin]

It was ages since I had hamsters, but I googled the brand you mentioned. It definitely sounded nice and cosy to burrow in for sleeping, but if she dug everything up, and now seems unsatisfied, perhaps she isn't satisfied with the quality of her attempts at burrowing/tunneling in the new material. No matter the reviews, you know your hamster, and if you think she doesn't seem happy with it, she probably isn't.

Thank you It gets amazing reviews but it doesn't seem to hold tunnels as well as her usual bedding, Megazorb, which is more like like granules that seem to stick together. I am going to see how she is today, maybe she will have got the hang of burrowing in it overnight.

 

[FinnishLapphund]

Hopefully she's gotten the hang of it. If nothing else, she's gotten a whole lot of brain exercise trying to figure out how tunneling in the new bedding works, which is also good for her.

 

[fiwen30]

Did you leave any of the old bedding in at all? Even when I did the full cleans every few months, I found my hams preferred when some old bedding was mixed through, to retain their scent in the enclosure. Perhaps the new bedding plus the lack of recognisable scent has thrown her? I’d imagine that a whole enclosure full of bedding that smells and feels different is very disorienting to a tiny, territorial being!

 

[Griffin]

Did you leave any of the old bedding in at all? Even when I did the full cleans every few months, I found my hams preferred when some old bedding was mixed through, to retain their scent in the enclosure. Perhaps the new bedding plus the lack of recognisable scent has thrown her? I’d imagine that a whole enclosure full of bedding that smells and feels different is very disorienting to a tiny, territorial being!

Thank you Yes, there is plenty of her old bedding in there, I would never do a full clean without putting some back. I wonder if it's the different texture that has upset her? She seems to have managed a tunnel this morning, so I am hoping that she will start to cheer up.

 

[smolmaus]

I used to mix Timothy hay in with the c&c to help with tunnels. My dwarfs managed without but the Syrians never really managed a proper tunnel network in just the c&c.

I agree with you that it would probably stress her more to take the lot out now, she will adjust. You know what they're like with change of any kind ? if she doesn't love the c&c I just wouldnt buy it again, its bloody expensive!

 

[Griffin]

I used to mix Timothy hay in with the c&c to help with tunnels. My dwarfs managed without but the Syrians never really managed a proper tunnel network in just the c&c.

I agree with you that it would probably stress her more to take the lot out now, she will adjust. You know what they're like with change of any kind ? if she doesn't love the c&c I just wouldnt buy it again, its bloody expensive!

Thank you That's a really good idea, I have plenty of Timothy hay for my rabbits. I know Syrian females are just so dramatic, they really are funny! No, you're absolutely right, if she doesn't get on, I am not buying c&c again (although I love how soft it is).

 

[Maddie Moo]

Not quite the same but I used C&C for the rabbit litter trays and they weren’t impressed, I went back to CareFresh!

 

[Griffin]

Not quite the same but I used C&C for the rabbit litter trays and they weren’t impressed, I went back to CareFresh!

Thank you That is interesting. She seemed a bit happier last night but I am keeping an eye on her. I haven't tried Carefresh in rabbit litter trays yet, I am currently using straw pellets under hay which seems to be working (one of my rabbits can wee for England).